Salon Today - November 2008 - (Page 19)

“I offer clients a place where they feel they belong, in an environment that allows them to express themselves in any way and feel safe. I BONNIE CONTE Avalon Salon and Day Spa Deer Park, Illinois offer quality service that “Our mission statement says, ‘It is our honor to serve you.’ Our stays progressive in our guests know throughout their entire experience that we are truly honored they have chosen to spend their time and money at our salon. We prove this by sending thank-you notes, acknowledging industry. As long as I have a special events in their lives, giving free hair cuts as referral bonuses, offering a coffee bar complete with soda, gourmet coffees positive, upbeat energy, the and teas; and simply being grateful to our guests.” SALLY ZARLINGA client will leave feeling better Lucia’s The Salon Mayﬁeld Heights, Ohio than when she came in.” “Existing clients come back because they know we are consistent— if their regular service provider is on vacation or not working when they want to schedule an appointment, they know they will receive the same level of service from another employee in that department. We have high employee retention and offer three “Wellness Days” for staff each year. This incentive has greatly improved employee attendance. Our regular guests know we will be here to serve them at their convenience.” “Although the economy may be tough on our clients, our staff is in the same position. Discounts would create an even greater burden on our stylists and our company—in essence, ‘giving away the farm.’ Instead, we’ve set our standards higher, increased our service awareness and honed our skills so that price is not the deciding factor for our clients. We are the safe haven from the worries of the week. This attentiveness helps our frequency-of-visit numbers remain stable, keeps our retention percentage up and maintains our average ticket numbers.” CARLA CARTER Headstrong Hair Salon Yardley, Pennsylvania KATHY JAGER Pro’s Salon Oak Forest, Illinois “It all comes down to the one-on-one connection with the stylist. Does the client feel an emotional connection? That is the key.” DON THORPE City Looks Salon Bismarck, North Dakota “We use hair coloring formulas that cannot be duplicated at home—the natural and healthy results bring clients back. We are competent, conﬁdent, board-certiﬁed colorists—and we’re fun!” KATHY PARTIN Haircolor Experts and More Troy, Michigan “Friendliness of all staff to all clients not just their own.” DEBRA WICHTEL The Salon at High Maintenance Bordentown, New Jersey [ADD YOUR VOICE] The community of top salons wants to hear about the wow ideas and best programs that are working in your salon. Tell us your story today by faxing or e-mailing an answer to our February 2009 question, “How do you plan on retiring from your business?” Deadline is December 5, 2008. Fax responses to SALON TODAY Roundtable at 847-634-4342 or e-mail ashipley@vancepublishing.com. For more best-practice ideas, look for salon owner quotes throughout this month’s features “Pinch Proof ” and “Growing Pains,” starting on page 26. www.salontoday.com November 2008 | 19 http://www.salontoday.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Salon Today - November 2008

Salon Today - November 2008 Contents Editor's Note Reception Fashion Sense Marketing Roundtable Decor Spa Menu Dream Team Pinch Proof Growing Pains Products Owner to Owner

Salon Today - November 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.